Crucible Forged

[Scifidelity]

How many knife makers on here are crucible forging the steel for their knives? I'm guessing not many, but I really don't know.

Then, of that population, how many are melting down ingots or scrapes of steel versus starting from ore and mixing in charcoal (carbon)?

Thanks.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

A lot of mixed terms.

Few makers make their own crucible steel.

Many makers forge their blades/steel.

Melting scraps is a bad idea.

Doing virgin steel in a tartara (tamahagane) is done by a very small number of smiths.

 

[Scifidelity]

Thanks, yeah I'm sure I didn't get all the terms right. Though it is one way, there are other ways to get to cake of steel other than Tatara, that's the specific Japanese open furnace. I know heating and hammering a billet is also called forging.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Yes, you can do a crucible melt, too. Most of the very few folks doing a crucible melt are making Wootz.

Whatever method of making steel you use, the point is that it is a very time and materials expensive to get a small amount of unknown quality steel. Then you have to work that lump into a bar and then a knife without ruining it. In the modern world you can get high quality steel in pretty much any type of alloy you want for a fraction of the time and money.